Penalise Westport landlords-McAllister

Penalise landlords with empty retail outlets – McAllister 


Áine Ryan

LANDLORDS of commercial buildings, who cynically leave their  premises empty rather than reduce rents, should be charged a higher rate by town councils. That’s the view of Green party candidate for Westport Town Council, Mr Fergus McAllister (pictured), who yesterday (Monday)proposed that this punitive measure ‘could help ensure more occupancy of retail units in Westport and help bring rents down to realistic values’.
He was responding to a Mayo News shock revelation, in last week’s edition, that Westport retail rents were up to twice as high as those in Castlebar.
Curiously, however, a County Council spokesman confirmed yesterday that, despite legal provisions, rate payments are usually waived for empty premises, as well as those under reconstruction or renovation.
“Strictly speaking, these buildings are liable for rate payments but if the owner of a building is actively trying to rent a building, we would possibly waive the rates payment,” the spokesman said.
On the other hand, Mr McAllister said: “The Town Council should consider increasing rates for unoccupied premises with hefty rent tags. Otherwise, Westport’s main streets and shopping arcades could continue to see further closures and a loss of vibrancy, so damaging for a tourist town.”
“We need to get radical if Westport is to stay open for business,” he said. “The notion of premises staying unoccupied because a rent of €60,000 a year is not enough suggests that landlords may not have a grasp of the present economic realities.”
“I suggest that the Town Council considers increasing rates for premises that remain unoccupied for a long period of time, if the rent being sought is astronomical. With substantially higher rates to pay, the landlord may soon consider reducing the rental value so that business people with ideas and a wish to bring variety and vibrancy to the town can actually open and stay in business,” he continued.
At his campaign launch, Mr McAllister argued that rents in Westport were unrealistic and must be brought into line with economic realities.
“The Mayo News comparative study backs up my anecdotal evidence from talking to people who want to ensure that businesses like restaurants, antique shops, book shops, clothes shops or speciality shops can stay open,” he added.